“It was my pleasure, Davis. You know, we could really use a man like you again. If you ever want your old job back, just say the word.” He gripped my hand tightly with his political smile back.
“That ship's long gone. After Grace, I won’t be going back into that world. Sorry to disappoint.”
“I understand. I’m still terribly sorry about what happened to her.” He shook his head at the memory. The one that still kills me inside when I think about it for too long.
“Well, thank you again for your help. I really appreciate it, and I’ll be sure to keep in touch.” I let his hand go, pushing past the memory before it swallowed me whole.
“Of course.”
I hurried home to my girls, seeing them curled up on the couch together with a large wedding binder across their laps. Calliope has been helping Lisa plan the ceremony. We had decided on Lamb’s Hill as our venue, but these two were having fun picking out cakes and flowers and pulling me along for the ride. I loved watching them bond and their love grow.
Calliope and I would have our own bonding sessions in which I would teach her to throw a punch. She would never be defenseless again. She was not one for violence, so it took a while to get her to want to learn, but she warmed up to the idea when I told her it would make me feel better. This sweet girl will do a lot for Lisa and me, if she thought it would make us happy. We were really blessed with a little angel.
“What are my girls up to?” I asked, closing the door behind me.
“Trying to decide if we really want to stick with blue and gold for our wedding. Calli here thinks we should add pink.” Lisa laughed, but Calliope suddenly went still, cutting her laughter short. “What’s the matter?”
“Daddy used to call me Calli. I don’t like it.” Calliope frowned, ready to cry.
“Oh, sweetheart. I am so sorry, I will never call you that again.” Lisa wrapped her arms around her so fast, pulling her into her bosom. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered.
“It’s okay, Mommy, you didn’t know.”
“We’ll think of a better nickname,” I told her. “Although, to me, you’ll always just be a princess.”
She giggled, making Lisa feel a million times better already. I took my spot on the couch beside my little princess, stretching my arm over the back of it so that my fingers grazed the top of Lisa’s shoulder. She smiled at me, beamed really, before she looked back down at that binder.
“I say add some pink. I would rock a salmon pink.” They both laughed at my comment, making me smile, because who didn’t love to hear their loved ones be happy?
“I could see that,” Lisa winked.
“Yay! We can have pink flowers with these white ones. I think that would look pretty.” Calliope nodded her little head as she pointed to some flowers in the book.
“I agree.”
This moment was perfect.
“Um, where’s my little sister? You realize half the reason I said yes to coming here was because I thought I would see her,” Izzy complained when she realized I didn’t have Calliope with me. I just rolled my eyes at her, giving her a hug that she did not deny.
“I half expected to see Jared. You two seem attached to the hip.”
“Whatever, we are not.” She blushed, which I never really see her do.
“Sure.”
“What are we doing here, anyway?” she asked, looking around the place she had clearly forgotten.
This was the spot I would take her and her mother to get ice cream from. It was close to her favorite park, but both things were gone now. The ice cream cart was long gone, and the park had been torn down and made anew a few years back. No wonder she didn’t remember it.
“I wanted to ask you a question, and take you to our favorite spot.”
I pulled out the small pint of her favorite ice cream from the bag. I got it on the way here so it wouldn’t melt. Her favorite ice cream was still the same as her mother’s, salted caramel. She smirked real big at me as she took the pint from my hand.
“Ask away, Pops.”
She dug right in, not waiting for me to hand her the spoon, licking the lid like she was a kid. I let out a small laugh as I handed her the utensil.
“Maybe use a spoon.”
